It’s after 10pm and I have been thinking about this question now for 12 hours. I was going to write this post when I had some time this morning but for some reason I felt like a didn’t want to waste it. Not that this swap would ever occur nor that if it did I would get a choice about it. But I feel the need to take it seriously regardless. It’s like if someone says, “If a Genie granted you three wishes what would wish for?” You just don’t waste that moment, every person I’ve met so far would seriously think about the question and give three deep and honest answers.

But as usual I first have to question the question itself. Firstly, if this switch would occur would you still be just yourself inside another’s body like in “Freaky Friday” or would it be more a “Being John Malkovich” switch when the other person is still there but you’re in control. Or would you just be able to see and live inside their mind while they go about their usual day or would you be able to both see inside he workings of their mind as well as control it? Would you just be in there bodies, or would it be a complete switch where that person takes up your body simultaneously?

The answers to the above questions would drastically change my approach to it and therefore my choice. I know you’re probably thinking “Why can’t this woman just answer a bloody question without over-thinking every minute detail?” but my answer to that is; it’s simply in my nature to do so. I’ve watched my father do it so many times and then because of it I took philosophy in my senior school years which further encouraged this propensity to do so.

And finally I come to my answer, or more correctly put, answers, because depending on the answers to the above I will give a different answer.

If it was a simple body switch Freaky Friday style I would have to choose someone that is similar enough to me to impersonate and the person would also have to have a job that can withstand improvisation because I wouldn’t want to ruin things for them. For example I probably shouldn’t swap with Brain surgeon or Prime Minister because I’d have absolutely no clue what I was doing and I could kill someone, multiple people and all together destroy their reputation. The day wouldn’t be very enjoyable either because I’d be so embarrassed the whole time. In this case I would swap with my sister Laura. I don’t want to give too many details as to why because I feel it would be rude to say so, but lets just say I think I know her well enough to impersonate her, but also by being inside her body and in control of it I could start turning things around for her.

If the switch was more like I’m inside and in control but the other “person” is still there then I would choose my dog Elli or with a Koala, I don’t think I’d want to switch with a person in this instance because I think it would be cruel and creepy to have someone be in control of you while you’re still there. On the other hand my dog probably wouldn’t grasp what was going on and wouldn’t care too much either. I think it’d be relaxing and fun to be a dog for a day. You’d see the world from a whole new perspective, you’d be allowed to sleep and eat all day. I wonder if I switched with a dog, would dog food be appealing to me? Or would I just not eat that day? Alternatively I’d be some other animal like a tiger or an insect. If I was an insect I could sneak into places that I’ve never been allowed to go before or I could be a fly-on-the-wall, listening to conversations of people I know, wonder if they say anything interesting behind my back?

Now for my favourite option, the ‘cinema style’ switch. This is where I’d be inside the other persons mind, but they’d be completely unaware of it and they would still be in control. For me it would just be a 24hr movie from the perspective of the person I choose. For this one I’m inclined to say that I’d switch with a paediatric surgeon so I could be in theatre watching surgery all day. But then I think, this would be a kind of wasteful switch because I hope to be doing paediatric surgery myself one day and will therefore experience it eventually anyway. Perhaps instead I’d choose one of my favourite actors like Simon Baker, I’d choose a guy because I want to see the inner workings of the male mind plus I’d certainly know all the spoilers for upcoming Mentalist Episodes. It would also just be generally fun being on TV show sets plus I’d get to talk to lots of other famous people that day and even be on a friends basis with some of them and find out their juicy goss!

Lastly is the option of being able to see inside their mind and knowledge but be in control. For this switch I’d probably pick someone influential like the Prime Minister. I could delve into their knowledge and memories so I’d know how not to make a fool of myself as well as perfectly impersonating them. The only difference is I’m in charge of making decisions for them so I would spend the whole 24 hours doing as much as possible to change laws to suit my opinions, like making gay marriage legal for starters and tackling climate change plus I’d try work out a way to make basically everything better.

I should also say that some of these choices would have to change if the other person simultaneously was inside my body. For example, I couldn’t allow my dog or any animal for that matter be in control of my body. They’d kill the kids I look after, they’d lose me my job and make me look like a complete idiot so I’d have to pick someone more adequate. I also wouldn’t want my sister inside of me. Heaven only knows what she’d do to my body! All I know is it wouldn’t be good. SImon Baker and the Prime MinisteR would have a pretty boring day compared to their lives if they were to be inside me for a day, but at least they could look after the kids and keep my job.